Online Poster Session: Online Only Room 1
Featured Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and Physical Activity Among Undergraduate Students from a South African University
Poster Session Chante' Johannes
Psychosocial factors such as mental health, motivation and social support are key determinants of behaviour that play a significant role in physical activity participation. Limited studies have investigated the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity among university students in Africa. This study aimed to determine the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity participation among undergraduate university students at a historically disadvantaged university (HDU) in South Africa. This was a cross-sectional study that used convenience sampling (n=534, majority female, 53.6% with a mean age of 20.69). The study was conducted through an online self-administered and hard-copy, valid questionnaire in September 2022. Data on sociodemographic information were collected. Psychosocial factors were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress -21 Scale for mental health, the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale for motivation and the Perceived Social Support Scale for social support. Physical activity (calculated as MET-min/week) was assessed using the international physical activity questionnaire-short form. Results revealed that almost a third (29%) of undergraduate students were physically inactive, 31.1% were minimally active and 39.9% were in the health-enhancing category. Physical activity was positively related to stress (r = 0.11, p < 0.05) and anxiety (r = 0.10, p < 0.05). Motivational factors were positively related to psychological condition and others' expectations (r = 0.10, p < 0.05), and depression and others' expectations (r = 0.11, p < 0.05). Results highlighted that psychosocial factors were related to physical activity participation among undergraduate university students.
Featured Heat's Impact on Athletic Performance: Challenges and Adaptations View Digital Media
Poster Session Lindsay Luinstra
Heat-related illnesses, often referred to as exertional heat illnesses (EHIs), pose a significant risk to athletes across all levels of sport each year. Regardless of whether one is a professional athlete, amateur, or youth participant, the potential for these conditions exists whenever physical exertion combines with high temperatures. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of EHIs is critical for healthcare professionals, coaches, and athletic staff to prevent severe consequences, including fatalities.
Safe Play, Smart Response: Enhancing Athlete Health and Safety Through Comprehensive Emergency Action Plans
Poster Session Richard Bomgardner, Lindsay Luinstra, Daniel Sigley
Fatalities within the athletic population seem to be annual incidences in adolescents and young adults. Leading causes of death center on sudden cardiac death, traumatic brain injury, and exertional heat stroke as well as the possible prevalence of exertional sickling. Emergency action plans (EAP) are a vital component of the health and safety of athletes at practice and during competition. The EAP is the primary document that facilitates emergency preparedness and responses providing essential critical care. The need for venue-specific EAPs contributes to the success of emergency care being delivered when a critical incident evolves. Stakeholders should have a comprehensive understanding of the development, implementation, and coordination of EAP procedures through education and rehearsal. Pre-event medical meetings should be conducted to review planning procedures and check equipment. Post-catastrophic or critical care incident debriefing occurs following the emergency to foster improved management of immediate critical care. Updates on evidence-based practices assist in guiding athletic and medical personnel through the latest EAP recommendations to support the effective management of emergency care in sports.
The Effects of Antecedent Videos on Sports Media Choices: The Influence of Team Identification
Poster Session Sean Pradhan, Patrick Cravalho, Susan Snycerski, Sean Laraway
Previous research has not fully examined how team identification relates to the perceived incentive value of team-related stimuli and variables that influence fans’ choices to consume those stimuli. The perceived value of such stimuli is often inferred from questionnaires or measured in naturalistic studies. Unfortunately, responses via questionnaires are sometimes far removed from the actual behaviors of interest, and naturalistic studies lack a degree of experimental control (e.g., the researcher cannot manipulate wins and losses). In the present study, we examine the extent to which Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants fans would celebrate or distance themselves from the team after viewing short videos of the Giants winning or losing. As a control condition, participants also viewed a video of a neutral sporting event. After watching each video, participants had the opportunity to choose to view Giants- or general sports-related stimuli (i.e., celebrating or distancing, respectively). We measured participants’ degree of team identification with the Giants, and participants were categorized as either highly or moderately identified. We also measured fans’ affective responses after each video (pleasure, arousal, dominance). Using a two-factor mixed design, we found that highly identified fans chose to view Giants-related stimuli more often than did moderately identified fans, regardless of the video presented. Compared to the losing video, the winning video increased fans’ choices to view Giants-related stimuli, regardless of their level of identification. Both fan groups reported increased pleasure, arousal, and dominance after watching the winning video compared to the losing or neutral video.
Miami Heat vs Orlando Magic: Janet Chusmir, Dave Barry & Questionable Newspaper Content
Poster Session Kimberly Voss
Pioneering Miami Herald Executive Editor Janet Chusmir said that her biggest regret was approving the newspaper’s Tropic magazine cover which featured Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist Dave Barry using his middle finger. Miami had just gotten its basketball franchise — The Heat — and the following year it was announced that Orlando, a city to the North, was going to get one, too. In Miami, the journalists decided to start a rivalry between the two cities – featuring Barry. The cover became legendary in both the media and basketball lore. This is the story of the beginning of rivalry and shines a high on basketball and media history. It explains the foundation of two significant NBA franchises. It also adds to the scholarship about Chusmir, one of the first female newspaper executive editors in the United States.
